About the Book
An intimate, authorized, yet frank biography of Gore Vidal (1925-2012), one of the most accomplished, visible, and controversial American novelists and cultural figures of the past century.
The product of thirty years of friendship and conversation, Jay Parini's Empire of Self probes behind the glittering surface of Gore Vidal's colorful life to reveal the complex emotional and sexual truth underlying his celebrity-strewn life. But there is plenty of glittering surface as well--a virtual who's who of the American Century, from Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart through the Kennedys, Princess Margaret, and the crème de la crème of Hollywood.
The life of Gore Vidal was an amazingly full one--full of colorful incident, famous people, and lasting achievements--that calls out for careful evocation and examination. Jay Parini crafts Vidal's life into an accessible, entertaining story that puts the experience of one of the great American figures of the postwar era into context, introduces the author and his works to a generation who may not know him, and looks behind the scenes at the man and his work in ways never possible before his death. Provided with unique access to Vidal's life and his papers, he excavates many buried skeletons yet never loses sight of his deep respect for Vidal and his astounding gifts. This is the biography Gore Vidal has long needed.
About the Author :
Jay Parini is a poet, novelist, biographer, and critic. His five books of poetry include Anthracite Country and House of Days. He has written eight novels, including Benjamin's Crossing, The Apprentice Lover, and The Last Station. Parini has written biographies of John Steinbeck, Robert Frost, William Faulkner, and, most recently, Gore Vidal. His nonfiction works include Jesus: The Human Face of God, Why Poetry Matters, and Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America. Patrick Cullen (a.k.a. John Lescault), a native of Massachusetts, is a graduate of the Catholic University of America. He lives in Washington, DC, where he works in theater.
Review :
"A book that has everything: sex and humor, American history, even wisdom. One of the finest biographies of recent years."
-- "Gay Talese, #1 New York Times bestselling author"
"An intimate portrait...Written with élan and confident erudition, Empire of Self is one of the most engaging biographies of our time."
-- "James Atlas, author of Delmore Schwartz"
"His deep knowledge of Vidal makes this book a masterpiece of biography."
-- "Erica Jong, New York Times bestselling author"
"Jay Parini has written a clear-eyed, level, captivating, and brilliantly paced biography of the liveliest and most ferocious American writer of the last century, the King of Zing, Gore Vidal...This brisk and vital account convinces that Vidal has not diminished with time; it's our pages that got small."
-- "Brad Gooch, author of Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor"
"Lively and insightful, this book should find favor among lovers of literature and biography. It's got heart."
-- "Library Journal"
"Marvelous...A portrait that is both affectionate and balanced."
-- "Economist"
"Narrator John Lescault gives an appropriately dry performance of this audiobook...an exemplary entry to the genre of literary biography. Lescault's narration reflects the temperament and wit of Vidal as well as the academic yet approachable writing of Parini. Listeners familiar with Vidal's writing and life will enjoy the detailed account found here; listeners new to Vidal will find this a suitable starting point to the life of the man and his work."
-- "AudioFile"
"Parini...pulls no punches in this posthumous biography, admiring Vidal from a distance but scrutinizing him up close...Parini finds the man beneath the accomplishments."
-- "Entertainment Weekly"
"Parini's access to Vidal and his thoughtful reflections on him establish this as the definitive biography of a major writer."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
"Pulsates with intelligence, scholarship, and heart."
-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"
"The incomparable wit, the literary genius, the dazzling friends, the staggering output, the politics, the sex, the drink, the dreadful mother, and the awful last days--it's all here. It's like, for a time, enjoying Gore's priceless company again. This is as good as biography gets."
-- "Dick Cavett, former talk show host and New York Times bestsellling author"
"What distinguishes Parini's account is...its sympathy...Parini doesn't flinch at the sad spectacle of Vidal's last years."
-- "New York Times Book Review"
